Unions Lobby Council Members as Budget Battle Continues

(Memphis) Local unions said Tuesday their mission now is to lobby city council members as those council members prepare to vote on the city’s budget in the coming weeks.

“The tax payers have been funding this, this is nothing new. Obviously they didn’t have any heart burn with it for 32 years,” said Memphis Fire Fighters Association President Thomas Malone about some of the benefits that the mayor proposed the council consider cutting.

“When you see these holidays, some of those issues were given in lieu of salary,” said Malone about the proposal to take away one of 13 paid holidays that city workers currently have.

News Channel 3 compared Memphis city worker holidays with other city and states. The state of Tennessee has 11 holidays. Major Mid-South employer FedEx has six paid holidays, plus two floating holidays.

“I think the general public is unaware of what goes on down there. We are dissatisfied but we just don’t know. We just take whatever comes,” said taxpayer Jordan Houston about the holidays.

The council hopes to make a budget decision during their next meeting on June 18th. But they have up until the end of the month to make a final decision.

In the meantime, a committee has been formed that includes the unions on possible cuts to city worker benefits.